Apparatus for turning doughnuts and the like.



v f IW. limolvr-LINSON.`

` NNPAMTUSv PON TURNING DOUGHNUTS AND THE LIKE.

` `Nr.1LIoATIoN-NILED 001.28, 1907.'

900,235. f 'l Patented-Oct. 6,1908.

.v )INM i l y www N lul nl me "Il,

nl li ITI WALTER n. TOMLINSON, or onroAGo, ILLINoIs@ l APPARATUs PoR TURNING DoUGHNUTs'AND 'um LIKE.

. specification of Letters Patent.

Application mea october 2s, 1eo7...sera1No. 599,413. t.

ToaZl whoml mail] concern: I r Be it known that I-,;WALTER ToMLIN- SON, a citizen of thelUnited States-residing at Chicago, county of-Gook, State- `of.1l1inois, have invented a certain'new and useful Improvement in A paratus for Turnin Doughnuts andthe Li e,anddeclare the ollowing to be a full,"clear, and exact descri tion' of I the same,such as will-enable others s v' led `in the art tof which it pertains to make anduse the same, reference beinghavd tothe accompanying drawings, -whichlform Va part of this specification. Y Y l 7 l p Y Where doughnuts are produced inlarge quantities considerable dificultyfis'eX rerienced in turning them after one side has een suflciently cooked; Vand it u often hap `ens,

where severaldozen dou 'hnuts ,areV eingV cooked in a single receptac e, that the grease is so hot that the` doughnuts cannot be'turned quickly enough one ata time to give them uniform color. t Infact it is often impossible to prevent some of the doughnuts frombeing burned. Even where Hit `is ossible to so regulate the temperatureof t e grease that' danger of burning the doughnuts isavoided,

still the ordinary process of turning each i doughnut by itself isa tedious one, `and a definite limit is laced upon the number'of doughnuts whic can Yloe Vattended to by a single workman l The-principal object of `the present invention is to provide simple-and novel meanswhereby a arge number offdoughnuts or-the like may beturned at asingle operation. p,

The various .features of 'novelty whereby my invention'is characterized Vwill be here-A inafter pointed out withparticularity in the claims,-but for affull understanding of `myZ invention and of vits-various objectsv `and advantages reference is tobe had i to the following detailed description taken in connection with --the accompanying drawing, wherein: l.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of ka preferred form of apparatus; Fig. 2 is a view taken at right ang es to' the plane offFirg. 1; Fig` `3-is a plan-view with a portion brokenl away for the sake of clearness;V Fig. 4 lis aytool emloyed in manipulating the apparatus; and

ig. 5 is a cross section through a receptacle such asis ordinarily employed in the production of doughnuts, showing the manner of Y using my improvedappar-atus.v L

- iRefer-'ringftothe drawing, A and B represent two trays which are indicated as being madegof sheet metal and provided with numerous` erforations, @and o, respectively.

Instead .lo `,being-\mad e of perforated sheet' metalthese trays-maybe constructed in any suitable manner whchwill enable y them -to f act Vfas, perforatedsuppprts throughy which greasemay drain. `Eac of the trays is preferably rovided `with-a flange as indicatedat Gan 1D, respectively. At diametrically `opposed oints on each of Vthe trays are brackets which preferably project-laterally fromthe 4trays somewhat beyond the flanges.

Each of the brackets are provided Vwith a h'alftrunnion e having a semi-circular collar efatthe endfthereof. The parts are so proportioned ythat when the trays are ysuperimposed upon each other with their-flanges directed `toward each other the two sets of brackets engage with each other so asto space the trays a art, and the Atwo Vhalf trunnions at each si e, ofthe traysA register with each other so as to'form a complete trunnion having aneannular collar at the end thereof. F is a bailof a wldth slightly greater than the diameter of the trays and having the free ends thereof bent backwardly as at f so as to rovideo en-endedi bearings. The distance etweent e portions f and the remainder of the bail issubstantiallylegual to the diameterl of one of-.the trunnions ormed by two half trunnions e. i

-The super-pos the open jaw'sfon the ball. While thus supported.` the trays may be rotated as a sing e structure, `about their trunnions as axes,

, without danger ofseparation, since the supportingsjawsat-'all times serve to maintain the v`proper 'relation between the halves` of each-trunnion. V

The size and shape of the trays is made to correspond,as nearly as possible, with the cross section of the kettle or other receptacle inwhich the doughnuts are to be cooked; and,-in practice, one ofthe trays is hung upon thebail andthe whole is inserted within-the kettle as indicated in Fig. 5, the kettle being indicated bythe reference character Gr in said fgure. The rawdoughnuts are then deposited within the kettlewithout interferenceon the part ofthe turning apparatus. As soon as- Athe immersed portions of the Patented oct. 6, i908.

ed trays4 may be supported i from-thebail by slippin i the trunnions into doughnuts appear to have reached the stage which requires that the doughnuts be turned over, the bail is lifted and the tray travels upwardly from beneath the doughnuts and lifts them bodily out of the grease. The other tray is now dropped in position on top of the doughnuts and, after the apparatus with its doughnuts has been lifted clear of the kettle, a quick half turn is given to the super-posed trays and the upper tray (which was formerly the under one) is lifted off and the other tray with its load of doughnuts is again set within the kettle. The uncooked sides of the doughnuts are now on the bottom and the cooking process may be completed without further effort or attention on the part of the baker. When the doughnuts have been completely cooked the bail is lifted and the tray again rises from under the doughnuts and lifts them out of the pot. rIhe doughnuts may be carried in the tray to any desire'd point and deposited collectively by simply tilting the tray. It will be seen that whenever the doughnuts are lifted out of the grease by means of a tray the surplus grease is drained off.

It is not necessary that the trays be spaced just far enough apart so that both will engage with the doughnuts at the same time; and, in fact, they are preferably spaced far enough apart so that the upper tray is out of engagement with the tops of the doughnuts, thereby avoiding injury to the doughnuts. The separation of the flanges when the trays are in operative relation to each other is preferably such, however, that the doughnuts cannot pass between the ianges.

I have found. in actual practice that by turning the trays quickly the relative positions of the doughnuts remains practically unchanged, so that they may be replaced within the kettle in inverted condition, while distributed in substantially the same way as they were before their removal.

As the trays become very hot during use, I prefer to provide a detachable handle or tool for manipulating them in order to prevent burning of the fingers. To this end there may be placed on the outside of each tray at the center thereof a small loop or strap H, and a tool, such as I, having a nose i which will fit between the strap and the tray may be provided. Each of the half trunnions may also be provided with a slot K into which the nose of the tool may be inserted, the cross section of the slot and nose of the tool taking some other form than that of a circle in order that the tray may be positively turned by turning the handle or tool. If desired, the tool may be provided with a second nose i so related to the nose i, that each nose may be simultaneously inserted in one of the slots in the end of a trunnion. A double nosed tool of this kind in effect locks the two trays together and they may be manipulated as a unit. Furthermore the double nose of the tool forms a jaw between which the edge of a tray may be grasped so as to steady the tray or tilt it.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a very simple and reliable means for quickly turning over any number of dough.- nuts or the like, making it possible for a single person to watch a comparatively large number of kettles. Where more than one kettle is being operated at a time there will,

' of course, be a tray and a supporting bail for each kettle. There need, however, be only one additional tray, since the tray which is used only during the time a batch of doughnuts is being turned may be carried from kettle to kettle.

While I have described in detail a form of my invention which has been found to be very satisfactory in practice, I do not desire to be limited to this particular form, but intend to cover various other forms as will be apparent from the definitions of my inven tion which constitute the a )pended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: j

1.An apparatus for turning doughnuts or the like comprising a bail having the ends of its arms turned backwards so as to form bearings open on the side toward the yoke of the bail, a tray provided with diametrically opposed half-trunnions projecting laterally therefrom and arranged in said bearings, and a second tray super-posed upon but disconnected from the first tray and provided with half-trunnions arranged on diametrically opposite sides thereof and resting loosely upon the half-trunnions of the other tray, each of said bearings being of a size to receive 1.05 through the open side thereof a trunnion formed by placing together two of the aforcsaid half trunnions and to hold -the halves of such trunnion together.

2. An apparatus for turning doughnuts or 11.0 the like comprising a bail provided at the ends of its arms with bearings open on the side toward the yoke of the bail, a tray pro vided with diametrically opposed halitrunnions projecting laterally therefrom and ar- 1.1.5 ranged in said bearin s, and a second tray super-posed upon the rst tray and provided with half-trunnions arranged on diametrically opposite sides thereof and resting loosely upon the half-trunnions of the other tray each of said trays having an eye on one side thereof together with a handle fitting said eye.

3. An apparatus for turning doughnuts or the likecomprising a bail provided at the ends of its arms with bearings elongated in the direction toward the yoke of the bail and open on the side toward the yoke of the bail,

a tray provided with diametrically opposed half-trunnions projecting laterally therefrom and arranged in said bearings, and a second tray super-posed upon but disconnected from the irst tray and provided with half trunnions resting loosely upon the half trunnions of the other tray, each of said hearings being of a size to receive through the open side thereof a trunnion formed by Placing together tWo of the aforesaid halt trunnions and to hold the halves of such trunnion together during rotation of the trays in said bearings. y

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

WALTER H. TOMLINSON. Witnesses:

WM.V F. FRENDENREIOH, HARRY S. GAITHER. 

